High purity monodisperse nanoparticles (NP) with desirable composition, size, structure, morphology, and crystalline phase have found increasing applications in catalysis, optical, electronic, and energy applications, display and solid-state lighting, separation membranes, protective coatings, sensors, biotechnology, batteries, solar cells, semiconductor and electronics applications.
Conventional processes, such as milling, metal vaporization, chemical vapor deposition, laser pyrolysis, reverse microemulsion, and sol gel techniques, for forming monodisperse nanoparticles often generate aggregated particles, which are lack of control of crystalline phase. For example, conventional reverse microemulsion and sol gel techniques are used to provide control of nanoparticle size, structure, and composition but cannot solve the problems of nanoparticle aggregation/sintering during the thermal treatment. Additionally, these conventional processes are cost-expensive.
It is therefore desirable to provide a method for forming monodisperse particles with reduced or eliminated nanoparticle aggregation. It is also desirable to provide a low cost manufacturing method for forming monodisperse particles with tailored size, structure, composition, phase, crystallinity, etc.